Armin Returns
by ManaMatchbox
Summary: It was an awful day. It was a dark day. That was all that could be said with the high amount of casualties and failure on the Survey Corps' 63rd expedition outside the walls. -An Armin/Armikasa story-
1. Prologue to Disaster

Hello!~ This is a story that I just got an idea for and I'm super excited to start writing it!

I swear I had an idea seizure and three hours later I have this! Agh, why is Armin so wonderful to write about? For all you Armin fans, I'm expecting this story will make you happy, sad and squeally *v* (Or is that just me?)

Heads up, this will also be an Armikasa story. Expect a fair amount of interaction between the two :3

So here's the first chapter! Or prologue! Whichever you prefer! ^V^

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_**Armin**** Returns**_

**Chapter 1: Prologue to Disaster**

"Oi, Armin, just what do you think you'll accomplish reading all the time? With all the time you spend reading you could spend training or somethin'..." Connie breathed out, ready to devour another bite of food. Across at another table, Armin sat, picking at his food, with a large, tattered volume in his hands. He only spared Connie a glance and a nervous smile before delving back into his book.

Reiner came from behind Connie and slapped him on the back, making the short boy teeter on his feet, only barely maintaining balance and not falling headfirst onto the immaculate wooden floors.

"Like you have the right to say that, Connie, look at you!" Reiner roared, laughing. " You're smaller than Arlert even with all the food you inhale!" Connie's chest puffed in offense as he looked up at the giant-in-comparison.

"H-Hey, since when was I the new Sasha?!"

A brunette head popped up at the consecutive table and after swallowing, Sasha yelled out with a "What was that, Baldy?"

Armin chuckled at the back and forth remarks of his teammates as dinner was set in complete motion. Dinner never really did start until three or four of the soldiers began bickering around the room. Some days it was Reiner and Connie, other days it was Connie and Sasha, and sometimes it was Eren and Jean.

...Most times it was Eren and Jean.

Back at the table where Armin sat, Mikasa ate her bread silently, observing the room, while Eren made faces at Jean which the gray-haired man heartily returned from across the room.

Eren broke off his glare at Jean and turned to Armin, "Hey Armin, why aren't you eating?"

Armin glanced down at his bowl and noticed that indeed, he had stopped halfway through his meal. Giving Eren a shrug, Armin turned the next page in his book. "I guess I'm just not that hungry tonight." Eren nodded and slowly reached over the table towards Armin's plate.

"If you don't feel like eating anymore, I can take it off your hands." Armin was about to hand his food over when he saw Mikasa place a hand on Eren's sleeve and gave a tug.

"You shouldn't eat the rest of Armin's dinner, Eren, he gets less than you do already." Eren rolled his eyes at Mikasa's motherly tone and sat back in his seat while Mikasa returned to her food. Armin put down his book for the time being, picked up his fork and attempted to resume his meal, but he must have zoned out as when Eren tossed a balled up napkin at him, he had been staring out the window and his meal had remained half finished.

"Jeez, Armin. Are you alright? Eventually your food's gonna get so cold not even Sasha's gonna want it." Ignoring the cry of annoyance from the next table, Armin gave his friends a soft smile and shook his head. "I'm fine, my mind's just not on food right now, I guess."

"Wish we could say that about Sasha!" Jean yelled.

Another roar was heard and laughs from all the young soldiers ensued. The guys were really giving Sasha a hard time tonight, but it was only payback for the time Sasha managed to snatch everyone's potato while she managed to distract them momentarily. Mikasa carefully placed down her fork and looked up at Armin. Seeing the expression in her eyes, Armin had a hunch of what she was going to say next.

"Armin, are you worried about tomorrow?"

Ah. That was brought up for the first time that night.

It really was an average evening for all the soldiers; Everyone spoke to one another while eating their extra rations as the moon slowly rose.

Of course, as much as this night resembled any other, everyone knew this was only the calm before a storm.

At dawn, everyone was to report to breakfast and immediately begin preparing for the Survey Corps' 63rd expedition outside the Walls. Months had gone into planning it and with new Survey Corps members coming in, Commander Erwin felt enough manpower was in their possession to set out on another expedition.

"Oh, no, not at all, or at least, that's not what's on my mind at the moment." No one could say they weren't afraid at all; expeditions always brought a small quake of fear to each soldier's heart, regardless of rank or size. So much could happen out there.

"I was just thinking about the concepts in my book.. The latest chapter has been really getting into some theories that focus on variables that contribute to how an individual human mind develops and-" Looking at Eren, Armin saw a face that screamed 'You're gonna break into a lecture again' and nervously sweatdropped, laughing off his previous topic. Regaining his composure, Armin turned toward the window and started speaking again. "I was also thinking that I hope we get something out of tomorrow. With the last expedition's failure," Armin looked down, "Strategists have been getting blamed for not setting up effective enough plans to get soldiers back alive from expeditions."

The Survey Corps has always been observed and criticized on how fruitful their expeditions turned out, or rather, _didn't_ turn out, but it was only until a few years ago that fingers started pointing to those that planned the courses for said expeditions. Armin, now a respected theoretician in the Corps, was sometimes held responsible and pressured by those higher-ups in Wall Sina for not planning a better way to keep their people alive. Mikasa looked up to meet Armin's eyes and spoke with a controlled voice that carried reassurance.

"You do realize that you help come up with the best plans possible, don't you, Armin? Sometimes it can't be helped whether we lose people or not. Titans can be unpredictable."

Unbeknownst to Armin, Mikasa was aware that often before bed, Armin sat at his desk completely frustrated and wound up at the pressure of being a tactician that was partially responsible for many good lives.

"I understand that, but that answer won't satisfy those idiots in the Military Police."

"Sounds like you have some beef with the MP." Eren stated.

True, when Armin was new to the military, he respected all branches as he did when he was a child. But after meeting many smug and unappreciative members of the MP, Armin had developed a dislike of the fear that they were prone to let cloud over rationality and logic.

"Sorry, but can you blame me, Eren? They almost never contribute to strategy and yet they find it appropriate to criticize our work." Armin sighed, leaning back into his chair. Mikasa piped up, "You're beginning to sound like Corporal Levi."

Eren laughed, "Yeah, but with a cleaner vocabulary."

He quickly clamped his hand over his mouth and looked around, making sure the lenient corporal wasn't around to hear a soldier describe him as 'unclean' in a sense. Armin laughed at Eren's joke and anxiety at probably being punishable with a week's worth of chores.

Armin quickly scooped up a spoonful of food while his spirits were high and handed off the rest to Eren, regardless of Mikasa's protests that he get as much nutrition as he can before tomorrow.

Volume in hand, Armin bid both Eren and Mikasa a goodnight and walked off towards his sleeping quarters. Whether he would get much sleep that night, he was still unsure, but he knew he had to be prepared for the next day.

No matter how much he tried to shake it off during dinner, Armin carried this indescribable feeling that something important was to happen during their journey tomorrow, he only hoped that it meant a good outcome.

It had been almost a year since the last expedition that had gone horribly wrong, and now the Survey Corps felt it was ready to get back on its feet and prove how strong they were to those snobbish pigs in Sina.

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Eugh, I'm still relatively new to writing fanfiction and every time I finish typing out something it always looks so short /.\

Any tips on how to write longer chappies?

Anywho, I really really hope you enjoyed the prologue and that you'll stay tuned for more!~ Although it may not seem like it (Unless you squint) This is gonna be an Armikasa story for the most part, but I'm not planning any real fluff until later.  
Right now, our little soldiers need to focus on their big expedition tomorrow!

If you like it, leave a review! Reviews make me happy!

ManaMatchbox out!


	2. Early to Rise, Early to Sleep

Thanks so much to the people that reviewed on the first chapter! Your support and advice really motivated me!

Taking advice, I managed to make this chapter longer by adding details and some more events (mainly flashbacks) and I think it really helped!

I don't Attack on Titan, I mean, if I did, 50% of each episode would consist of Armin doing cool/adorable things *v*

I hope this story is to your liking and that you enjoy it! Reviews are much appreciated!

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_**Armin Returns**_

**Chapter 2: Early to Rise, Early to bed**

Sometimes Armin wished he could sleep in like the other guys in his squad could. If privileged, Connie could sleep away until dinner while both Reiner and Eren could manage to stay out until midday.

Not Armin.

It seemed that as soon as the first beam of sunlight hit him, his body was compelled to rise and begin his morning routine. Even if he wanted to, Armin's body would not let him waste precious daylight on sleep.

He recalled a day when he was sparring with Christa as she pointed out his punctual routine.

_"I can't help it. It doesn't feel right to sleep during the day."_

_"Maybe it's your hair!" It took Armin a few seconds to try to process what she said before he gave the shortest female a confused look._

_Ymir came from behind Armin and pulled at his hair, causing Armin to quietly yelp._

_"She's right! Maybe you stay awake so easily because your yellow hair just absorbs the energy so easily! How freaky!" Armin mused over the logic that made a miniscule amount of sense and shook his head while giving Ymir a smile._

_"But Christa has more or less the same hair color. Are you saying she absorbs light too?" Armin asked jokefully._

_He and Christa gulped as Ymir achieved one of her most menacing looks yet._

_"Are you calling Christa freaky...?" Armin furiously shook his head in fear and retreated to another area of the training field, leaving Christa and Ymir to spar._

_"Note to self, never say anything about Christa that isn't positive." He sighed. _

_He went in search of Sasha to see if she was up to spar._

_'I really wish I could take on someone stronger than Sasha or Jean.'_

That entire day flicked through Armin's mind as he rose from his bed. It amazed him how he could recall what was five hours in a matter of seconds. "The human mind really is amazing." He thought out loud.

Changing into his uniform, Armin slipped in his harnesses and tied his boots. He made sure to make his bed and to leave his sleeping wear in the hamper so he can return later to wash it. He also inspected the floor for any dirt he may have tracked in.

Corporal Levi really kept his soldiers on a tight sanitary leash.

Walking down the hall, Armin noticed that the hallway was very empty. Glancing out a window, he saw why. The sun had barely risen, indicating that it was maybe 4:30 in the morning.

Armin groaned, feeling embarrassment at the fact that he had forgotten his window was stationed in a way that as soon as the sun revealed itself, Armin was the first to know.

He had gotten high up enough in the Survey Corps that he was given his own sleeping quarters near the other strategists for convenience in case a crisis occurred and the soldiers needed to know what to do _fast._

Luckily, serious matters almost never invaded the nighttime and Armin only had to worry about his own troubles blocking him from restful sleep.

"I'm already up and dressed and it looks like the others won't wake for maybe another half hour.." Armin sighed. "I might as well prepare my horse," Armin said as he made his way to the stables.

The sky was a dull orange when Armin arrived to the familiar stables that housed all the horses used by the Survey Corps during expeditions. He made his way over to his own steed, Traile.

Traile truly was a sight to behold. The steed was a mess of different pigments and tremendously stood out from the other military horses. His middle back was a shiny, black sheen and his neck was a soft yellow with patches of chocolate. Traile's legs were all white as clouds and, amazingly, never seemed to get dirty.

He had brought Armin to and from many perilous expeditions, but despite all the grime and blood spilled in between, Traile never seemed to get so much as a speck of dirt on him.

Hearing of the curious horse, Levi even showed some interest in the foal as it was first brought in from a farm.

_"Tch," The corporal said._

_"A horse that's cleaner than all you asses. Now I've seen everything."_

Some thought the corporal was actually thinking of making the horse his own steed, but in the end, he denied the idea.

_"I prefer not to look like a damn clown, is all."_

And yet everyone knew of his own attachment to his ebony horse.

Despite the hour of day, Traile seemed to be up and anticipating Armin by the time the blonde soldier reached his pen. Armin let out a laugh.

"You really are my horse, aren't you? Here, I brought breakfast." Pulling out a small bag of vegetables, Armin settled himself on the door to Traile's pen as the polychromatic horse enjoyed its meal.

"Eat up, Traile. You're gonna need it all for the expedition today.."

Traile let out a whinny, seemingly agreeing with Armin's statement that today was going to be a tiresome one for everyone; soldiers and steeds alike.

Armin sat contently, listening to the light breeze in the air and quietly hummed a tune.

'How can there be such peaceful moments like this when we all know what dangers are out there?' Armin thought.

He stopped when he sensed a shift in atmosphere which no longer consisted of just him and Traile. Turning his head to the right, Armin spotted another figure checking in the stables and concluded it to be Mikasa tending to her own horse, Mathen.

Armin turned his head to look back at Traile, who was just finishing his breakfast, and patted his mane lightly while receiving an appreciative snort.

"You already know the answer to your question, don't you?"

Looking at the Oriental girl that was also stroking her mare, Armin scrunched his eyebrows. His eyes then widened when he realized that he had been thinking aloud earlier. _Again._

'Honestly, I need to learn when to keep my mouth and my mind separate.' Armin thought to himself and to himself alone. After meeting Mikasa's gray gaze, he then pondered over the response she gave him. It did seem strange to be asking a question when you already knew the secret behind it. "Hm. I guess you're right. It's just a question that I always ask myself for no reason." Armin shrugged as he got off of Traile's pen door and began preparing him for his saddle.

It was nothing special, just a worn out standard saddle made of dark leather. It was Armin's own personal goal to wear this one out until it was unfit for use before getting a new one like he was encouraged by others to do. He even carved his initials into it as he planned to perhaps keep a scrap after it was disposed of.

Armin glanced at Mikasa's saddle, which was fairly new and was an average leather brown. It seemed he was alone when it came to his odd attachment to his saddle, but he didn't mind at all. Armin adjusted the saddle straps one final time before standing up. Dusting his hands, Armin reached into a satchel to retrieve another bag of vegetables and snatched it out of Traile's reach as he walked over to Eren's caramel horse.

'Eren's horse' was what everyone called her as Eren himself never designated the mare a name.

"_Come on, Eren. You've got a really nice horse here. Why not give it a name?"_

_Eren shrugged off the question and returned to refilling his gas tank._

_"I don't see what naming the horse does. It still comes to me when I whistle, so I'm set."_

_"Still, even Mikasa's horse has a name." Armin countered._

_"The name was suggested to her so she just rolled with it. I personally don't think horses need names, Armin." Armin puffed out a half-hearted sigh and returned his attention the caramel mare._

It was a beauty and was very intuitive compared to the rest of the horses that were used as mere transportation. It was a shame it had no official name. But when no one was around and Armin took it upon himself to pamper Eren's horse a bit, he would refer to her as Nills, seeing as Armin thought such a bright creature deserved a name, even if it was scarcely used.

"Why, then, do we have peaceful times like this?" the silence was broken between the two. "What's your answer?" Mikasa asked in a strange tone that sounded serious yet intrigued at the same time. It was a tone that only Mikasa could pull off. She glanced back at Mathen and seemed to be awaiting an answer.

Armin closed his eyes and leaned back. Letting out a breath, Armin thought of just how exactly to respond. He knew the answer, but actually articulating them to another person proved to be difficult. He could feel the answer..but finding the right words for them seemed out of his reach at the moment.

"I really can't say, actually."

"Why is that?"

Twiddling his thumbs, Armin sheepishly smiled. "I don't know. Maybe I can figure out a way to explain it later." Mikasa smiled and nodded at Armin's somewhat childish display. It reminded her of their younger years when hesitancy wasn't met with pain.

Armin always was the light of hope in the trio back in the day. Whether you needed reliable and strategic advice or simply a sympathetic grin, Armin helped maintain sanity in the tight-knit group of soldiers.

Mikasa gave Mathen's saddle one last tug as she prepared herself to leave. Armin noticed and listened quietly. Sure enough, the bustle of soldiers had already begun at a steady pace and Mikasa and Armin would be needed soon.

"Alright then. You can tell me another time."

"Sure thing!" Stepping out of the stables, the sun was slowly making its way higher into the sky with the appearance of clouds scattered about the blue canvas.

Armin and Mikasa began walking their separate ways, towards their planned squads to begin preparations. Gazing at the sky, Armin noticed clouds rolling in from all directions. He frowned slightly, but then smiled, looking at the positive outcomes of possible rain. Crops would benefit and judging by the amount of clouds, if it did rain, the nest harvest could be fairly bountiful.

Not to mention, less sunlight translated into less energy for the Titans. Armin wouldn't count on them being any less dangerous, but maybe, just maybe, they'd be slower.

A cloud begin to drift south and in doing so, allowed sunlight to cover the field momentarily.

"Hey, Armin." Mikasa spun around on her heels to face the shorter male who turned to look at her also. The sunlight reflected off both of their eyes as they exchanged looks of understanding, "Don't die on us." It became routine for Eren, Mikasa, and Armin to say so to each other before each mission. It was, in their own way, their good luck charm.

"You too." Of course, Armin knew Mikasa had the least probable chance of failure. Her natural talent and skill practically guaranteed her safety.

Not wanting this pleasant morning to begin too on a rather unpleasant note, Armin gave Mikasa a small smile and said a simple, "Good morning, Mikasa," as the sun warmed both their bodies.

Mikasa's face held her familiar, indifferent expression, as she looked back at her childhood friend. It felt odd hearing what would be used as a greeting as a farewell, but when Mikasa speculated it, she didn't mind.

She quickly nodded and spoke a brief, "Good morning, Armin," before spinning on her heels towards her team.

Armin did the same with a smile and as he made his way away from the stables, his expression turned to one of focus and determination. Now was the time to get serious.

As both figures wandered farther and farther away, a soft wind blew across the grass.

The stream of sunlight on the fields of the stable that illuminated the two friends' departure silently became overshadowed by a gray cloud up above.

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..I think I focused a bit too much on the horses T.T

Alright, that was chapter 2 and I hope you liked it. It was about double that of the first chapter, so I feel pretty satisfied with myself!

I'm more of a drawing person, but I love making up stories (I live for plot twists and development) so it makes me happy to hear just one person liked my story, and so far I have four!

If you liked it, please leave a review whether it be praise (I hope) or constructive criticism :)

I'll even take Armikasa fluff or one-shot prompts! Anything to work on my writing skills.

ManaMatchbox out!


	3. Thrill of the Prelude

As usual, I don't own Attack on Titan, if it did, Bertholdt, Armin and Levi would be the main protagonists. And infinite thank you to readers and reviewers! Especially you, RonaldWeasleyTheHero, I have a feeling you're gonna be a favorite voice of mine 0v0

Sorry if I kept people waiting a bit longer for this chapter, I was overwhelmed with school for a bit but as I sat on the bus, it hit me like lightning that

'Oh my god, _I don't have any homework._'

Nada. Zilch. Nothing due tomorrow, nothing due next week and it feels _exhilarating._

Granted, I'm only spending free time on the internet, but I finally finished this up. I apologize if it seems a bit like filler, but I actually like this chapter 0_o

Also, I apologize for erratic update dates in the coming future. I'm not much of a date setter, so I really don't know how long it'll take me to post. I will try very hard to keep it within two weeks.

Oh! Also, this story takes place where everything is how it would be if Eren was the only Titan Shifter, get my drift? (I haven't even finished the show but I already know who they are ugh. My manga reading friends torture me with spoilers T^T)

Anywho, here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it!

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**Armin**_** Returns**_

**Chapter 3: Thrill of the Prelude**

**"ONWARD!"**

The absolute yell of their commander spurred both stoic and anxious soldiers alike to begin venturing outside the open gate of Wall Rose.

An air of what could be called amazement shrouded the civilians watching as the esteemed Scouting Legion was departing for an expedition. It had been some time since they last ventured outside the fortified walls and all eyes had landed on them.

They were a dream come true to the youths of humanity.

Mounted on large, marvelous creatures that children within Maria and Rose rarely ever had the pleasure to witness, the Legion showed upmost grace and concentration on the task at hand.

Eyes never leaving them once, boys and girls exchanged stories from the vine of these exceptional heroes.

"They're the best at flying since they use it the most!"

"I heard they were trained to ignore pain!"

"Some of 'em have killed more than a dozen Titans!"

"Wow.." All the children stood, awestruck.

Besides explaining to each other the almost unbelievable aspects of the Scouting Legion, they also enjoyed picking out their favorite soldiers and imagining what kind of person they were and how many awe-inspiring feats they've achieved over the walls.

Commander Erwin Smith was popular among the younger ones. He was the leader and that instantly dubbed him the best. He exuded conviction and authority in a way that surpassed most of the kids' own parents. When Erwin Smith signaled his troops to push onward, even the children were compelled to follow him beyond the walls. He really was an icon.

..Not to mention he always came back.

The children had favorites that came and went and each felt an evanescent grief when their personal hero did not show their faces again after an expedition.

Lance Corporal Levi was an anomaly to them. He seemed absolutely _intimidating_. His pallid skin and ebony hair gave him the characteristics of what children had heard was a '_vampire' _from folktales. His constant grimace and tired eyes conveyed to the children mild contempt and while his expression was never welcoming nor kind, it was never hateful or angry either.

That much the children saw as they also speculated, he _too_ always survived. The children heard of his reputation and surmised that he always looked tired because he was too busy thinking of killing Titans for humanity. This hypothesis won him many young fans cheering for Humanity's Greatest Soldier.

A woman that the children always felt joy to see was Squad Leader Hanji. Her quirkish ways and enthusiasm amidst all the professionalism made the children laugh with glee. She was the only soldier with important rank that bothered to wave to the children and give them a carefree smile.

And as the young boys and girls looked up to her smiling face, they believed that if being that happy was possible in the Survey Corps, then joining the military might not be as bad as their parents say.

They also had many unnamed favorites to which they had to point out to their friends.

An incredibly tall fellow with tan skin and dark hair was stared up at by the children below. His height even exceeded that of the Commander's and children always pondered over how well he could get rid of Titans with that size.

A group of boys pointed out their favorite, a muscular man with blond hair that rode just beside the tall one. He looked like a force to be reckoned with and despite being shorter than his dark-haired friend, the boys agreed that he was still tall and even had a good amount of strength that he could display.

One girl in particular saw the troops and scanned them with her eyes and blushed. Her two favorite soldiers were present, to her jubilation. Closer up front was the soldier with coffee brown hair and blue-green eyes. His eyes swirled with determination and what she could make out to be a little anger.

A bit farther back was the mature-looking of the two. He had light brown hair which some children used to assume was pink and amber eyes that looked to others pointedly. The girl always imagined he would be a knight in shining armor in battle; saving all the female soldiers in trouble and rebelling against orders to do what he thought was right.

...It goes without saying that some of these profiles were off base.

A flash of red appeared in the children's sights as they spotted the woman with grayish, but beautiful features. She was serious in demeanor, but was _saintly-looking_ compared to the Lance Corporal's annoyed glare.

Slowly, a pair of little siblings gently pushed their way to the front. Even orphans could admire the spectacle before them. The female of the twins held onto her brother's hand as he guided her to the front where they spotted them.

Backs emblazoned with the Wings of Freedom...

The girl managed to obtain a crate and as her brother and herself stood upon it, the boy spotted a mop of yellow hair and pointed him out to his sister. They knew of all the soldiers that displayed strength. The short corporal, the lady with the scarf, the blond-haired man of muscle, and especially the Commander.

They all stood out as the powerful ones. But when children looked at the blonde with longer hair, he was categorized as something new that some of the younger kids had trouble pronouncing: _Strategist._

The title had been used for the blue-eyed soldier by members of the Garrison and so was distributed to the children by eavesdropping ears. After a bit of deciphering from the parents, they learned it was a title meant for someone who not only fought in the military, but actually_ planned _how missions were carried out.

A fair amount of the children dismissed the strategist, more intrigued by those that were able to easily best a Titan, but there were those that realized the power in those that created the Legion's plans and respected it.

"How smart do ya have to be to be a stra'gist, brother?"

"Dunno, probably you have to be a genius at school!"

The older twin pointed back to the soldier who's posture was lenient and whose crystal irises faced forward despite the usual flicker toward a teammate.

"Like him?"

"Yeah! Like Mr. Strat'gist!"

One by one as they filed through, citizens of all ages stopped to give the courageous soldiers a silent send-off. The civilians of older age knew many of them would not be coming back. They let the young ones stare on in supreme astonishment, and for the moment shunned the thought that some of these kids would one day be in the military as well. They continued to stare after them with a grudging and solemn respect.

Because no matter how many stories and tales the youths conjure up, the reality that they had yet to face was that once outside those walls..

_..__**Complete and utter **__**hell**__** ensued.**_

You could see it on all their faces. Those that survived showed anxiety at recollections of the friends and comrades they had lost last time, and new recruits had a hidden but burning fear searing in their guts at what was to come.

No matter who you were, worry of the coming and imminent deaths plagued everyone.

But as soldiers, you swallowed that fear not just for yourself, but for your teammates and the public. It was a soldier's responsibility to set a show of bravery and follow through even as fear and trepidation quaked in the heart.

That's what Armin believed.

He gave a side-glance to the new recruits distributed throughout the squads and saw familiar expressions he saw each year. There were those that had the demeanor of a cornered animal and some who seemed just about ready to soil themselves.

Facing forward once more, Armin forgot about the new recruits and instead put all his determination into how this day was to end and how the Recon Corps was going to make it happen.

_The 63rd Expedition had begun._

* * *

_Wind._

The first sensation of the fresh breeze outside was what invigorated Armin the most. The way it traversed field upon field, unbridled by walls, was quite literally a breath of fresh air.

He recalled the first time he felt the rush of wind on his first expedition.

'57th, I believe..'

Tension was all that occupied Armin's mind as they departed on the 57th expedition. He saw townspeople gazing at them. Some in wonder, some in solemnity. As the gate opened, all Armin could think of was how things would turn out. He was new and inexperienced.

_But when he first felt that strong breeze.._

He knew it was worth fighting for.

Now, even three years after and five expeditions since, Armin felt alive at the sensation other soldiers dismissed. He had learned long ago that the little pleasures in life were to be appreciated and cherished while they could be.

Heaven forbid he forgot what it was like to gaze up at the sky and feel hope.

Glancing at the new recruits, he saw that some of them had taken his advice and focused on the wind, just like he told them to. Armin frowned.

'They're confident now, but it's only going to get much worse from here.' His frown deepened as he saw one recruit quietly laugh to herself.

'Maybe it was a bad idea. To get their hopes up and grant them a reprieve isn't good leadership from Erwin and Levi's standards.' New recruits got treated with leniency just like everyone else, experience or no experience, but Armin's heart had gotten the better of him and he presented the most fearful of the newcomers with his own memory of leaving the walls for the first time.

Needless to say, he felt no regret when he saw confidence and even _hope_ embedded into their eyes. He knew they'd see menacing atrocities soon enough, 'But can't we all use a little reassurance before it all?' he thought.

"Oi, Armin." Annie muttered from his left. "Yes, Annie?"

Piercing ice-blue eyes remained fixated on the formation ahead of them rather than the blonde man beside her. It seemed as though she hadn't aged a bit since recruitment; her small stature had remained the same and her battle-hardened look never faltered in the three years of venturing on perilous missions.

"You're a trusted theoretician, what is the purpose of this mission? Neither Commander Erwin or Levi will explain."

"I'm sorry but I can't say I know, either. Really, you as well as Reiner need to stop thinking I know everything. My input is appreciated in the war room is all." Armin said with a laugh. Annie huffed then looked away.

He knew his friends always went to him for any news about expeditions and he earnestly tried to help when he could, but it wasn't as if Armin had a high position in the Corps. He had a chair in meetings and if he put his modesty aside, Armin would admit he was often looked to for comments or concerns concerning the layout of the plan to which he inspected seriously.

It was Armin that even found the means to create new flares for the Survey Corps' issued flare guns.

Gray for when the commander orders what is left of the squads to unite; a rarely used flare, but has proved useful from time to time.

An orange for the case that more than half a squad is down and is expected to go be wiped out.

And a white to warn others to absolutely _evade the immediate area._

Whether there were still soldiers fighting for their lives, the white flare signified that it was a hopeless battle and if the rest of them wanted to salvage the mission, they were to avoid the large conglomerate of Titans that had gathered.

Only once has Armin seen that white flare in action, and it had saved the entire Corps from a disastrous end.

Armin wasn't proud that he thought up a protocol that involved consciously leaving men behind. In fact, the first time he saw it, he had stood frozen in realization that an action of his indirectly condemned soldiers to a lonesome fall on the battlefield.

'_Armin, you're crying, aren't you?'_

_Armin's golden hair curtained his face, yet Mikasa could easily tell by her friend's demeanor that tears were lined at his eyes, being held back._

_'Yeah, I am." It had been 42 seconds since the white flare had been spotted, and a green was expected to follow to change course accordingly. Armin muttered quietly._

_'It makes me a child, doesn't it? It was me who designed it, and here I am, almost wishing I never created such a hopeless signal.' Facing away from the area of the white flare, Armin tried to put on a brave face._

_'..It saved the right flank.'_

_Armin looked up, tears still glistening on his irises. _

_'Eh?'_

_Sure enough, the lower right flank had been heading onwards toward the red flare fired a bit ago. They were going to try and help their brothers-in-arms_, _and even more squads were preparing to join them_ _but upon seeing the white flare, they withheld from advancing any further._

_Connie could be heard a few feet away, 'There's an estimate of about fifty to sixty Titans in that proximity! Maybe more!'_

_With hesitance, Armin turned back from his place in the trees and proceeded with the mission._

_'I still feel grief. That's all I need to know that I'm not inhuman.'_

Back in the mission at hand, soldiers began dispatching into their respective flanks. Nods of acknowledgement were exchanged between friends splitting up.

Armin placed himself in the upper right section of the formation along with Sasha, Christa, Bertholdt and Annie. Their objective was to keep any straggling Titans away from the middle right to ensure the center's safety. Apparently, Eren's Titan form was to be used to clear an obstacle further up.

So far, nothing had disrupted the Survey Corps' course. Everyone was in position and continued on at default speed. Armin took advantage of the period of quiet to note of everyone's position for future reference.

'Eren's in the center with Corporal Levi's new team until his Titan form is required, Jean should be holding up middle left with some of the more experienced soldiers, along with some of this year's top-tenners. Ymir and Connie are based at the upper left with Squad Leader Mike. No one knows where the Commander is positioned. I think Squad Leader Hanji's in charge of the middle right fleet...'

Deep in thought, Armin ignored the eerie quiet that had descended upon his flank. The extended period of silence was starting to exasperate some of the soldiers. Apprehension was high and while Armin kept reviewing strategies and alternate courses in his head, his mind snapped back to one thing. 'Wait, where's-'

_**Bang.**_

Everyone heard the unmistakable sound of a flare being spotted and this early on in the expedtion, the experienced soldiers knew there were only two possible colors that flare could be. Sure enough, the familiar hue made itself known in the sky.

"**TITANS SPOTTED!"**

Although the signal appeared to have come from one of the branches of the middle right section, Armin's squad readied their blades in anticipation for a fight. Where Titans were, Aberrants could follow.

As the stale air quickly turned heavy with determination, apprehension, and even _fear_, Armin could only think of one thing at the time.

'_Where is Mikasa_..!?'

* * *

And that's chapter three :3 I hope you get why I named the chapter how it is, it felt really fitting in my mind.

I apologize in advance for the possibly awful next chapter. I've never been good at writing action since I don't read a lot of it.

I mean, if I want to absorb gun fights, wars and explosions or anything of the sort, I'd watch them. It makes more sense. Reading romance makes more sense too since you get to know exactly what they're thinking (and you don't actually have to watch them kiss)

But yeah! If you liked it, please leave a review! Reading reviews sends a happy tingle down my spine uwu

ManaMatchbox out!


	4. The Expedition Itself

Holy heavens I apologize. Here I am, well over a month since the last update. I promised a new chapter under two weeks and I admit that I am a liar. I've been sidetracked by writing on my dA account and all my motivation had been sucked into that. It's almost the end of winter break for me, and I can't help but feel obliged to submit a new chapter... And this was the product! After checking the word count for this, I'm a bit mortified. Compared to my other chapters, this could easily be three!

But I would like the whole expedition to be in one chapter, so here is a significantly long chapter that I do not regret. I hope you find it alright, I warned you that I'm awful at writing action! Please bear with it, if you can.

I don't own Attack on Titan at all. Not even a keychain.

* * *

_**Armin Returns**_

**Chapter 4 : The Expedition Itself**

"Green flare! Change course!"

Armin moved with his squad to evade the Titans nearby. Right now, the perrogative was to avoid contact altogether with the Titans and push onward in hopes of reaching their destination, unscathed. Another squad branch would deal with the Titans in their vicinity.

They could only keep pushing on in silence. The trampling of Titans doesn't reach their ears and that's a good sign.

"We have to keep moving northeast, it's not yet our problem. But that does not mean under any circumstances that you drop guard! Braus! Lambert! Keep an eye out east and south in case any Titans appear in the distance!"

"Roger!"

Sasha and the new recruit took positions at the left and back of the squad respectively, whereas Armin was leaning toward the front left of the formation with Annie by his side. They were quickly traversing the flat plains of grass with dexterity and agility. Only nature ruled as neither Titans nor semblances of humanity were within their area.

That was the rare sight Armin always kept an eye on during the early portion of an expedition.

'_Neither man or Titan... No collapsing buildings, no blood or footsteps, just nature.'_ Armin thought. Recently, Armin had been getting especially absorbed in the study of flora and fauna. He had a theory that with Titans being disinterested in such, and no industry from humans to interfere, there must have been an entire ecosystem of plants and animals alike _thriving_ somewhere. Who knew what kind of beasts and creatures lived outside the walls beside the average deer and squirrel?

Unfortunately, expeditions were too linear and dangerous to ever allow the time or security to research anything. Once you stepped outside the wall, it was from Point A to Point B all the while trying to avoid the jaws of death.

Armin's train of thought derailed as he was called upon by the squad leader.

"Arlert, on point! In order to avoid Titan contact, we'll be curving inwards to the formation! Everyone, prepare to turn northwe-"

Prematurely ending his sentence was the sound of another flare from the direction of the front-center flank, only, unlike the red flare from earlier, this one gave off a ghastly black color.

"Squad Leader! Abberants! We can't go in that direction or else we'll get caught in the battle."

The squad leader grunted. Commander Erwin had directed everyone to make it to the desired destination as quickly as possible, and that included entrusting other squads to handle the Titans before them.

And so Armin's team continued on, and eventually they reached the checkpoint where the flank had to divide into smaller squads. It was much easier to weave through the land that way.

"Ah, crap." Reiner muttered. His squad in the upper left had disassembled to head northeast, but news of an Aberrant had halted their plans. And from what he could gather, the upper right squads were even worse off. Jean came up behind Reiner and nodded to him. Reiner nodded back.

It was decided that a small squad would assist in eliminating the Titans threatening the front. It would alleviate pressure from both the left and right as well as the middle center of the formation.

"It's gonna be a select few of us. They say they want at least sixty percent of it to be experienced soldiers. We can bring new recruits, too."

Jean looked toward the points in the formation that were in battle with the Titans and scrunched his eyebrows.

'_Just what the hell is going on here?'_ he thought as he shook his head. It was a strange sight to behold. Titans were coming in from all around, and selectively at that. They came in positions that, with their current command to advance forward, disabled everyone from moving, regardless if they were in direct contact with them or not.

"It's like these idiots are playing chess with us!" he muttered in anger. Everyone knew that the direction Titans came from was entirely random, but in this situation, it was completely debilitating to their objective.

Jean grimaced and turned to his group.

"Commander Erwin's direct orders were to keep advancing, but given our situation, we'll have no choice but to fight them head on!" Nods were given from the experienced soldiers while the new soldiers anxiously stared, a thin sheen of sweat visible on their temples.

"Alright, let's go!"

And they were off.

As the squad dwindled into smaller teams, Armin found himself with the squad leader and Sasha, along with two soldiers he recognized as Fletcher and Annabel, the former being a first timer and the latter being a much older soldier.

Armin rode alongside the squad leader and helped in navigating through the patches of trees that were becoming taller and more frequent. Right now, they were riding up a hill that they hoped would allow them a better view to assess their situation.

Despite the anxiety of not knowing how his friends were doing, Armin gave their position a once-over in his mind. Years of experience left Armin completely capable of setting aside concern for his friends and focusing on the job at hand.

Nearing the top of the hill, the squad leader rode ahead to check for Titans, leaving Armin with Sasha, Annabel and Fletcher.

As soon as they saw their squad leader reach the top, they heard him give out a scream. The soldiers halted their horses immediately and stared up as their squad leader was quickly grabbed by a Titan that was awaiting on the other side. Sasha and Annabel readied their swords and were preparing to run after him.

Armin looked away, knowing that it would be impossible to reach the Titan before he swallowed the man.

Sasha's horse barely moved an inch before the sickening crack of the squad leader's spine rang out. Armin kept looking to the side as he heard Fletcher's terrified screams at seeing his first human be devoured. Armin had seen it himself multiple times, and yet, he found it in his nature to look away, feeling it was unnecessary to witness another teammate's demise. Maybe he really was a coward at heart, no matter how much he grew on the outside.

Eyes quickly flicking to the Titan as it occupied itself with its meal, Armin signaled for the rest to advance as he dashed off. Once he got close to the Titan he sunk his cables into its left hip and swung to slash its ankle. The Titan immediately turned its neck to look at Armin, giving Sasha the perfect opportunity to go for the killing blow from her position on the right.

Landing on the ground, Armin and Sasha caught their breaths as they observed an irate Annabel scolding Fletcher, who was taking refuge on the ground, hands running through his hair in a frantic and distressed manner.

Both Armin and Sasha chose not to involve themselves, but as tears streamed down the boy's face, Sasha walked over to put a hand on his shoulder while Armin consulted the woman to ease up.

Annabel scoffed and walked back to her horse as Armin gave her a nervous side long glance. He was aware of her history and how she was known for becoming cold and cruel during her years of enlistment.

'_Thank heavens the Scouting Legion didn't change me or my friends in that way.' _Armin thought guiltily.

His train of thought was disrupted by the new sound of galloping hooves. Looking up, he found an alone Annie with blood visible on her cloak. Instantly riding to her side, Armin stared with wide and questioning eyes.

"My group's dead." Annie stated bluntly and with the same, stoic face she always sported. But upon closer inspection, Armin could see a hint of shock that was a window to how she truly felt.

He made a small move to put a consoling arm on her shoulder, but stopped himself. Armin had to remind himself that there were other matters at hand and that Annie wouldn't want his comfort anyway. Sasha rode up to the two of them, her eyebrows scrunched in worry.

"Annie... How many Titans did you see?"

"Seven in my immediate area and around five making their way there."

A small bead of sweat was visible on Armin's face.

"We regrouped with two other slivers, so it's at around ten dead."

Gears turning, Armin was rapidly thinking of the best course of action. Which direction was less likely to contain Titans? Heading straight back was not wise in the sense it was where Titans had been spotted first and it would not help them reach their objective at all. And yet, going straight forward proved hazardous, too. Titans were upon the center front and could easily veer to the right. Armin considered the option of heading northeast. It would definitely be closer to their destination than other routes, excluding straight forward.

_'However, it's beyond the formation.' _Armin thought. '_We have no idea if there are Titans in that proximity and in the situation we're overrun, there are no nearby flanks to assist. We're a very small group as it is, with or without the skill and experience of Annie and Annabel.'_

Armin made up his mind and was about to relay his strategy to his teammates, when a large and thunderous series of booms shook the earth around them with fervor.

Footsteps, and by the sound of it, more than just one set.

Ymir was just about panicking when she saw Bertholdt present her with a worn-out Christa with blood present on her uniform. Informing the freckled of the three, Bertholdt explained that Christa's group had broken apart and was subsequently attacked. Christa's portion had slightly diverged into Bertholdt's, allowing him to save her from being snatched.

Ymir furrowed her eyebrows at his explanation. "If Christa was all the way in the upper right, how'd you find yourselves here?"

Bertholdt shook his head with no answer.

Soldiers found themselves separated and in a sea of chaos and death, they were finding themselves far off from their stations. All that was known was that it appeared that the upper right part of the formation was weak and quite possibly completely obliterated.

Ymir took the small girl into her arms and held her tight as another Titan came into view. Abandoned buildings were as good a terrain as they were going to get and with one incapacitated member, it seemed the fight was going to only go downhill from here for Ymir.

Attempting to awake Christa, Ymir sensed the anxiety rolling off Bertholdt. She didn't say anything, but she heavily assumed that Reiner or Annie were in the upper right flanks.

Grimacing, Ymir prepared herself to start flying with Christa hoisted on her shoulder. It was going to be a bumpy ride.

Dashing west, Armin's group hurriedly tried to lose their pursuits. It seemed that behind the hill where the one Titan had been standing, more had been waiting as well. Counting four Titans, two six-meter classes, one eight-meter class, and one ten-meter, Armin yelled for everyone to head south. With the trees still present, there was still a possibility they could disappear from their sight, but with the decreasing space between them and the enemy, direct combat was looking more probable by the second.

Armin readied to announce the move to Maneuver Gear, but was beaten by Annie, who hung back and launched herself into the trees.

_'Typical...' _Armin thought exasperatedly as Annie flung herself towards one of the six-meter classes. However, he made no judgement against this, and followed suit on his own 3DMG and called to the others. "Onto Manuever Gear, everyone!"

Armin had to move out of the way to avoid the already falling six-meter class that was bested and defeated; courtesy of Annie. Eyes on the nearest Titan, He moved to the other six-meter class, readying his blades to strike down the creature but was a tad too late, seeing as once he got his cables into its collarbone, Sasha had distributed the killing blow, letting out a short yell in the process.

When their eyes connected, the two found within themselves the energy to exchange a smirk and shrug before directing their eyes on the other two: Annabel and Fletcher.

Said soldiers were currently making their way to the advancing ten-meter class. Armin, Sasha, and Annie knew better than to worry about the elder, but found themselves eyeing the younger soldier as he made his way closer to the beast's nape. Annie looked away as she swung towards the eight-meter class to finish it. Armin and Sasha landed on branches near, but out of sight, of the ten-meter Titan. They looked up in worry as they heard the two above bickering. It seemed that Annabel was instructing Fletcher to descend and regroup with Armin and Sasha, but the boy would have none of it.

Sasha looked to Armin with a concerned look that he returned. "I know that feeling... He's just seen something awful," Sasha said. "And now he wants to do something besides hide, but he's forgetting his own boundaries." Armin nodded, not taking his eyes off the two.

He gasped when he saw a large hand start to move and he screamed to Fletcher to watch out. Launching himself into the air, Armin made his way to the Titan's line of sight, catching its attention. He avoided a fatal blow from the Titan trying to step in him, but it was no good. The ten-meter class was still set on swatting Fletcher away.

The boy screamed as skin came in harsh contact with bark, but it was not his own.

Fletcher had to scramble onto another branch as Annabel pushed him out of the way before the Titan's quick hand could hit him. Instead, she took his place and was sent to a tree at ungodly speeds, breaking her 3DMG in the process. Sasha gasped as she saw the light fade out of the veteran's eyes and as the same hand that ended her life carried her corpse closer to the owner's perpetually grinning face.

Armin was left to kill the Titan while Sasha hurriedly flew to catch a distraught Fletcher that lost his grip. He wasn't confident that he could best the Titan. Armin would have much rather prefered to have Annie handle the situation, but she was busy with the eight-meter class several feet away. Armin gritted his teeth and unleashed a cry as he speeded toward's the Titan's nape and sliced the flesh with his blades.

Landing on a nearby branch, Armin took deep breaths as he watched the Titan still, with Annabel's body halfway into it's mouth. Both Sasha and Fletcher watched with apprehension as they waited for a total of ten seconds. The Titan teetered and finally fell.

Armin closed his eyes and breathed a small sigh of relief. He checked on the rest of his team and made eye contact with a returning Annie, who gave him a small nod, though her facial features remained in tact. Nodding back, Armin swung over to regroup.

Sasha continued in trying to cheer up Fletcher but did little to nothing to improve his condition.

"Oi." Annie called. Armin and Sasha looked to Annie who signaled for them to look at their surroundings. Sasha looked around in puzzlement at what Annie wanted them to see but Armin caught on quickly. In their immediate spot in the trees, everything looked average except for the blood marking Annabel's demise, but looking downward made Armin gasp.

Blood covered the forest floor along with corpses of unidentified soldiers bathed in their own blood. Sasha looked downward, too, and her eyes visibly widened. She said nothing, and avoided having Fletcher see something like that in his state. Looking around, Armin also inspected that they had come across an area of wide space, almost like an arena. Sadly, more blood and fragments of people lay scattered around the grass.

"This.. This is the middle right flank.. Isn't it?" Armin asked.

Sasha swallowed and looked around.

"It's also some of our people... I can recognize some of them..." She said detachedly.

Annie looked around, her mouth pressed into a flat line. "One of the small groups must have had the idea to go back, hoping for some kind of reinforcement. They just got caught up in the fight, however. Armin put aside his anguish for the fallen and surveyed just how much blood there was. Body count would be unreliable as Titans usually ate bodies whole.

"This is only a quarter of their formation at most. But that doesn't guarantee they're alive somewhere." Armin stated. Sasha looked down, displaying a moment of silence for the dead, when a faint whimpering was heard. Head snapping back up, Sasha scanned the area and before Armin or Annie could process the sound, Sasha was using her gear to fly down to the ground.

Armin followed after her with Annie following suit. Fletcher flew behind them, not wanting to be alone. They ignored the contact of blood on their boots as they followed Sasha.

The whimpering sound was coming from behind the base of a large tree and when Sasha went to investigate the origin of said noise, she immediately called for her teammates. They rushed to her side and were met with a surprising sight. Upon counting, four soldiers were crouched behind the tree and each one had a look of utter defeat on them.

A woman, appearing to be sixteen or so, looked up and cried at the sight of them. In her arms was one of the counted soldiers, but upon closer inspection, the familiar sight of lifeless eyes confirmed that only three had survived whatever confrontation happened here. The corpse had matted blonde hair that stuck to her uniform and before quickly looking away, Armin saw half of what was left of her ribcage jutting out.

"My- my sister..." was all the woman said before breaking down and convulsing into sobs.

Another survivor, looking to be in his mid-twenties spoke up, though his voice wavered.

"The middle right was separated in half after the first Titans appeared. We tried to regroup but they kept forcing us to fight and eventually we lost the others." He looked down. "We don't know where that other half is. They got left behind, with us running ahead for our lives."

An eerie silence followed the man's report and Armin stepped forward, slightly stuttering. "I-It's probably in best interest if we group up. Our flank split up, too, so it's best to combine what we have if we want to survive." All eyes were on Armin at made him feel a bit squeamish. Despite being a respected tactician in the war room, Armin did not see himself as a leader in the least. However, that seemed to be the role that was allotted to him in this situation.

Sasha found it in herself to encourage the rest of the seven. "Don't worry, we have a genius with us! He can figure something out and we'll be able to get out of here in no time!" She also motioned to Annie. "Not to mention Annie here's a fighting machine. She was fourth in her trainees squad! I'm sure we'll be fine!"

Armin and Annie remained silent. No one liked having hopes pinned on them in a dire situation like this. Yet slowly, the survivors got back on their feet and checked their supplies, nodding to one another that they were well enough stocked in fuel and blades. "Alright. We seem ready to go." one of them stated.

They all glanced at the woman who held her late sister in her arms. She showed no signs of moving. The man that spoke up earlier went to talk with her, and the rest chose to not interfere. Armin was busy determining their next course of action.

"Forward isn't an option," He said out loud. With everyone looking at him, Armin began constructing a diagram in a patch of clean dirt with a loose stick. After a few minutes, he began relaying his plan of action to the others, occasionally getting a nod in response.

Rising from the forest floor, Armin surveyed the direction they were to go in.

South.

"Without the middle or upper right, the center's almost defenseless and Titans are starting to gather in our previous positions, but with our current numbers, it would be best to combine our efforts with the lower right."

There were seven of them in total, a good, standard amount to take on Titans, however, two of them were in shock at the moment and considering they had no insight to how many Titans they would be up against, he considered it best to regroup before taking them on.

Armin looked at the terrorized looks in Fletcher and the young soldier's eyes. He looked away, hoping that his plan would work and get them out of this nightmare.

"Let's move." His biggest hope was that Levi's squad would avoid contact and Eren would not have to use his Titan form.

Left and right there were people losing everything as they succumbed to the teeth of Titans. The rear fleets were being chewed at as Titans came in from behind and chased after them. Outrunning them was appearing less and less possible by the second. A Titan occasionally fell to the blade of a daring soldier, but no one of exceptional skill was found in the rear.

There was talk of the fleets from the middle and lower left along with the rear, the lower right, and what was left of the middle right were going to cut off the Titans from where they were gathering and obliterate them as to ensure the safety of the center, which was their unsaid, main priority.

Squads would move ahead of them, to the west, and so the chances for the rear looked bleak.

One man, being held by the ankle, had the courage to spit in defiance at the six-meter class's smiling face before clamping shut his eyes and waiting for the end. Suddenly, he was falling, but instead of the disgusting moisture of the mouth he was expecting, the soldier found himself on grass. Right before their eyes, the rear flanks saw a figure of significant speed flinging from Titan to Titan and striking them down without a second thought. Things began clearing up for those left and they silently cheered for the unnamed warrior before recollecting themselves and flying off back into battle with renewed fervor.

Last they saw, the figure followed the Titans west, with a streak of red following behind.

...

So far, Armin's strategy had worked out brilliantly. They had successfully evaded ten Titans and managed to eliminate them with the element of surprise. They even had to take down a few straggling Titans that followed them from the north. Annie had just finished offing another twelve-meter class when they stopped on branches to take a break. They had just reached a hill. Looking down, Annie felt that 'cliff' would be a more appropriate term, noticing the steepness. She never found out how far down the hill went as she was called back to the group. Without giving it another glance, Annie swung back to the others.

"Something's not right... We should have run into the lower right flanks by now..." Armin muttered. They had been flying for thirty minutes straight but had yet to see any sign of human or Titan, let alone any damage from attacks.

'_It's so peaceful...'_ Armin thought. '_If I could, one day I'd like to sit at the base of this tree and just relax. Maybe even Eren and Mikasa could be here. They would like it.'_

Shaking himself out of his reverie, Armin tried to focus on the mission at hand. Now was not the time to lose himself, especially when there were those looking to him for a means of guidance. They couldn't stay in one place for long, they knew for certain that there were Titans slowly making their way south just as they had, only they were still out of sight. Armin thought.

'_Why is the lower right fleet not present? They couldn't have been wiped out, there's no sign of a fight; no blood or evaporating Titans. Where are they?' _ Armin looked at the soldiers in his group and decided to wait a few more minutes. They were clearly exhausted by the previous events, excluding Sasha, who seemed eager and determined to move on. Armin noted that they were all fairly young. The oldest of them was the man who approached Armin earlier and he appeared to be no more than in his mid-twenties. Armin grimaced.

'_Everyone here still has a long life waiting for them. They want to get out of here alive.' _He shut his eyes in apprehension. He didn't know if he could get them all out. He wasn't confident that he could save them like he wanted. _'No,'_ He pushed those thoughts away. _'I'm going to get them out of here and that's that.'_ He thought, trying to summon the courage he always saw in Eren.

Lifting his head, determination shining in his blue eyes, Armin turned to the group. "We're going to start moving full west from here. If we're fast enough, we can find the rear fleets and regroup with them instead. Maybe that's where the lower right went."

With nods of confirmation, Armin turned westward and gulped. He was taking the front, undeniably giving him the role of the leader, and he didn't know how much longer he could up this guise. He always followed. Since he could trace back, even before he knew Mikasa or even Eren, he listened and followed what his grandfather told him to do. From then on, he followed his friend Eren and even Mikasa all the way to the military, and from there, he dutifully took the orders of his squad leaders. He's never been this responsible for anything and failure frightened him. Not because it would mean his own demise, but because it would mean the deaths of all these people who are desperately wanting to return home. It included his friends. Sasha, the motivator that supported him, and Annie, whom he still cared for despite her stoic indifference towards him.

He wanted to protect them and once they regrouped with the lower center, his role as the leader would come to a close. That was his goal right now and he would follow through with it. He signaled for the rest of them to follow after him.

Eyebrows furrowed in determination, Armin launched forward.

_'We'll get there.'_

Flying through the air with clear aspiration Armin looked back to see the rest of the soldiers following suit, with Annie being the closest at about ten feet away. Armin felt confident that he could find his way back to his friends.

He was confident.

"_LOOK OUT!" _Fletcher screamed, making the first noise since Annabel's sacrifice. He spotted it before Armin could.

Before he could even process what was happening, Armin was flinged backwards by a ginormous hand belonging to a thirteen-meter Titan that jumped out of the trees from right in front of him. Feeling thick bark meet his back, Armin groaned painfully before shooting his cables into the above branch. Miraculously, he survived. He couldn't count the number of times he had seen a soldier lose their life after coming into harsh contact that shattered their spines. On his knees, he turned to Annie, who was about to attack the Titan's nape, but found herself sidetracked by another Titan that appeared on her right and made a grab at her.

"Annie!" Armin called out. Snapping his gaze back to the thirteen-meter class, he shakily stood up, using the trunk of the tree to support him. He unsheathed a blade in defense and was about to shoot forward despite the stinging pain on his back, but was interrupted by the shouts of the female soldier. Another Titan had appeared from the north and closer inspection showed three more coming; one from the south, two from the west. Armin paled.

'_They're coming in from the west?! But what about the rear flanks...?'_ His head pounded in aggravation with another miscalculation. _'There's one from the south, with all this gathering, more will probably follow...Damn it!'_

It was only instinct that saved Armin from the jaws of the previous thirteen-meter class as he swung to another tree, back aching. He was also just in time to save Fletcher from an incoming seven-meter class behind him. Armin let out a breath of relief, glad the cut was deep enough. Hearing screaming, he turned to see the soldier with the sister being pulled out of a Titan's mouth, thankfully unharmed, by another. Everyone was still alive, for now.

Unfortunately, Armin's distraction proved to be his downfall as he was yanked by his left cable in flight. The sudden pull did nothing but agitate his spine further and he was met with the palm of the Titan, headfirst. Armin was almost positive he had broken his nose and dizziness was taking place as he felt blood drip down the side of his mouth. As far as he knew, Annie was still with the others, unaware of Armin being held captive.

Struggling as much as he could, Armin found his efforts fruitless. The Titan was going to devour him at this rate. Glancing back at his friends, they were still fighting strongly, despite the steady stream of Titans. Armin looked about in concern. More were coming, and he wasn't sure if his team could handle them all. Frantically scrapping together an idea, Armin let out a blood-curdling scream, catching the attention of not only his comrades. They stared wide-eyed as the Titans started directing their attention to the blonde soldier. The pressure slowly started to ease off them and they were able to collect themselves, however, they watched in horror as the Titan who had Armin brought him hazardously close to his mouth.

Armin was too busy sighing in relief at the fact he managed to distract the Titans from his group that he almost didn't acknowledge his impending death. Glancing back at the large mouth he was nearing, he quickly turned to his group.

"GO! GET OUT OF HERE! RELAY WEST AND REGROUP! CENTER OR REAR, WHICHEVER! JUST GO!" Armin barked out. Time wasn't on his side and with more Titans filling in from all around, he decided it best for those with a chance to retreat. He could see hesitancy in their eyes.

"_NOW!"_

Slowly, they began flying off, much to their distaste. Sasha was about to protest, but choked up and continued on at the sight of her friend already in the jaws of the beast. Already lost. It was almost impossible to see Armin anymore. Annie flew by, but not before giving Armin a final, even sorrowful, glance. Annie proceeded to fly. She stopped, however, at the sound of Sasha's cables reaching her ears and immediately flew alongside her. They would not give up a member of their own that easily.

Suddenly, the sound of new cables reached their ears, but they paid no heed.

Before anyone could tell them otherwise, three feminine cries of strength were audible before the familiar sound of sliced flesh rang throughout the forest.

The Titan promptly fell forward to the ground, leaving Armin thirteen meters away from his comrades and not visible. He clawed his way out of the scalding, evaporating mouth, not even able to scream at the excruciating sensation of having a tooth partially lodged into his shoulder. With his good arm, Armin turned himself to see his group accompanied by a sight of red, however, this was not the ruthless crimson of blood, it was a familiar burgundy. Warm, yet striking. If his assumptions were correct, his hope that his group would get out safely would significantly increase.

_'That's right...! Mikasa was in the middle right flank. She's been fighting since the beginning...'_

Armin could hear faint drabblings as Mikasa spoke. It was calm and collected as ever. She said the squads were heading this way in an attempt to nip the issue in the bud and Mikasa went on ahead. This news made Armin's eyes bulge.

_'There are too many... And they're still coming...! No one should head over here!' _ Armin wanted to say, but there was no way. Sighing in defeat, Armin looked up at his friends.

Reaching an arm towards his team, Armin felt himself teeter. He could see their figures, obscured by the light behind them, yet his sight was becoming blocked by the increasing number of Titans. He wanted to call out.

_Oh god, how badly he wanted to call out._

To call out for help, to scream to them that he was still alive, and to tell them not to abandon him. But he couldn't. The distance between them was perilous enough and he didn't want to endanger anybody. He made a decision.

Despite his silence, he still reached out. If anything, he wanted to feel the smallest bit closer to his friends before they left. He teetered again. Was the ground beneath him unstable? As he watched, he saw the three middle flank survivors and Annie retreat with the blur of red he recognized as Mikasa. Armin was thankful neither of them saw him survive. If they had, there would be no doubt in Armin's mind that Mikasa would launch herself directly into this mess. No. He ultimately saw it best that they leave him behind.

Their figures disappeared from his sight, leaving Sasha and Fletcher behind. Sasha was urging Fletcher to fly as the boy stared at all the Titans in blank terror, and his eyes rested on Armin, widening at the sight of the blonde. Sasha followed his gaze and looked stricken at the discovery, she was sure he had died! She looked just about ready to call for help, readying her blades, but stopped as her keen eyes spotted Armin mouth something.

'No.'

Her eyebrows furrowed and before she could protest, her eyes widened at a Titan passing by near Armin. It didn't spot him, but just as it walked past, a large foot, easily five times Armin's size, collided with the ground in front of him, nearly killing him. To Sasha and Fletcher, it must have looked like it did, as their screams could be heard.

The force of the footstep sent Armin flying backward, and downward he went, no longer feeling ground below him and faintly hearing a pair of cables fade away.

From the calm point of view of Eren, the only sound he heard was that of the rhythmic clops of Squad Levi's horses. Nothing was exchanged between the members and it almost annoyed Eren. He saw the flares, there was a good chance people were dying this very second and they were doing nothing. But Eren had to follow orders. Looking up from the trail, he saw a blue sky painted with clouds here and there. So peaceful.

'_So ironic,'_ He thought.

Despite the calm disposition he put up, Eren found himself thinking about his friends. Were they okay? He faintly smirked.

'_Of course they are, they never let me down all these years. They'll be fine.'_

Was that something he only told himself, or did he really believe it? Sometimes not even Eren himself knew.

* * *

_**Armin POV**_

I really only remember falling. It's usually a strange and frightening sensation, but at the time, it was one of the calmest moments of the day. I felt air around me and I felt at peace, for some reason.

"A-**ARMIN!**"

_'T..Their voices sound..distant_.' I closed my eyes.

'_I hope_..' Breathing became difficult. Where had all the air gone?

'_I hope.. they get out of here safely_.'

The falling hasn't stopped, but I think I've landed on ground..

I don't pay attention to all the debris or sharp pains on my skin. Squads are coming, there are countless Titans coming and if they come..I don't think they can handle it. If they come... they'll probably... they will die.

'_Is it still there..?' _I check my pockets as best as I can while falling. I cringe and shriek at the sensation of what I think is jagged rock cutting across my cheek. I can't worry about that now.. not while my friends are on their way to death.

Finally, I find what I'm looking for, I just hope it's the right one...

My back quickly meets the base of a tree and I have to tightly hang onto the object in my hand as my blood is knocked out of me. The abrupt end of my rolling sends me into nausea.

My body's aching, but I couldn't care less. I hold it up in my line of vision and I find it in me to smile. It's the right one.

* * *

_**Regular POV**_

"Jean! C'mon get up! Shit... Don't tell me you're dead!"

"Get off! I'm fine.." Jean stumbled to his feet and used a sleeve to wipe blood from his chin.

Surveying their positions, Reiner and Jean concluded that their area was secure, but what grabbed their attention was the growing number of soldiers making their way to higher ground on massive trees.

Flanks from all about were scattering and gathering on the edge of the forest.

It almost seemed the mission was abandoned.

But no confirmation from the Commander had yet to arrive. Reiner lowly growled.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"I could say the same thing, idiots." Both men turned to find a disgruntled Ymir landing on the branch above them with a now fully-conscious Christa trailing behind her.

"What are you doing here?"

"What's anyone doing over here?" Ymir scoffed in contemplative annoyance. "All the formations kinda just broke apart. It was the same thing." Looking into the distance, Ymir continued.

"A Titan showed up, a team split up, more Titans, more separations and the next thing you know everyone's scrambling for order. I'm hearing talk about killing all the Titans while they're bunched up right now, sounds promising, I'm planning on following suit soon." Christa then spoke up.

"We aren't sure of how many there will be, though..."

"Look!"

Upon hearing Jean call out, the three turned their heads to see various figures approach them.

It was Annie, along with Sasha, Mikasa and a handful of soldiers trailing behind her. As soon as they landed in the vicinity, they were attacked with questions. Mikasa was the first to answer. "I was scouting ahead for the rear and lower right flanks that were planning on heading over first, but once I got there, I was told to head back after only killing one." She glanced over at Annie who refused to explain the situation until they were out of immediate harm. Her words were simple and short.

"We were ordered to retreat by our team leader." She said in a monotone voice. Somewhat confused by her vague explanation, Mikasa raised an eyebrow and turned to Sasha, who had not said a single word since she had caught up with them. The young soldier, who she learned was Fletcher, stood beside her, the same haunted look in his eyes.

"Sasha, what happened?" Reiner asked.

Sasha flinched at her name being called and looked up. Her eyes held despair and it looked as though she ached to cry, but was holding it in. Facing Mikasa, she released a sigh.

"Our team leader..." They leaned in to hear her words. She gulped. "Armin was our team leader..."

Mikasa's head snapped up in surprise. "Armin...?" Sasha nodded solemnly. Mikasa placed a hand on her shoulder, her eyebrows scrunched together in worry and eyes burning with seriousness.

"Sasha... Where is Armin now?"

* * *

_**Armin POV**_

Titans will probably find me soon. I can be sure of that.

When have they ever let us live? _'T-that's why I have to...make this count.'_

I look to the sky and breathe out a sigh of relief. Despite all the foliage from the treetops, I see a space in between that is just big enough. First the right color, now a straight shot?

"Luck must be o-on my side today..." I grin, but it doesn't last.

I'm frightened.

I won't lie. I'm terrified. It's only a matter of time before I'm found and torn apart by teeth, and as I look back at my life, I'm asking myself if I'm content with what I was and what I've done with that short interval of time.

Am I? Eighteen years... What do I have to show for it..?

_"Armin, c'mon! Let me see your notes!"_

_"Please, Armin? You're the nice guy! Just one potato?"_

_"You know, your battle stance is improving."_

_"I...you're a good guy, Armin, don' forget that."_

_"Never forget how much your grandfather loves you, Armin, stay strong."_

_"That much salt in that much water? You dream big, kid."_

_"We'll see it together. Right, Armin?"_

_"Armin Arlert...Welcome to the strategist branch."_

_"You already know the answer to your question, don't you?"_

When did tears start streaming down my face...? I hiccuped. My accomplishments...

My friends...

Everyone always told me how much stronger I've gotten since I first enlisted, but I was still weak in a lot of ways.

A part of me wishes my friends would come and get me out of here, but I knew better than to have them risk their lives for _me_ of all people.

My arm felt really heavy as another wave of nausea passed, but as I raised the gun, I felt relieved. _'If none of my friends suffer...Then that's all I ask for..'_

Aiming for the space of the sky amidst all the trees, I could feel my breathing becoming ragged.

'_Eren.. Mikasa... Everyone... Be safe, please.'_

Finger on the trigger, I closed my eyes, I was... really tired. And in pain.

_'I accept that I'm strong in my own ways. Just how I accept my weaknesses.'_

Horridly ragged breaths meet my ears... Were those really mine?

'_But I know I'm not useless...not if I can at least do this in my final moments!'_

Gritting my teeth I let loose the flare and watched as it soared directly through the clear space in the foliage and met with the blue sky to combine with the bright, cotton clouds.

"Y-you a..aren't getting my f-friends. Not a... single one of them."

I don't even bother keeping my eyes open any longer. I close them and remember faces of everyone I've known.

My grandfather, with his strong stance and kind eyes. I imagine what my parents look like, maybe my father looked like me only with brown eyes. And maybe my mother is where my eyes came from. What hair did she have? Was she dark-haired? If any recollection of them was in my mind, it was long gone. I pictured everyone in the military I had come to trust. All the strong souls that gave and are giving their lives for the advancement of humans.

And Eren and Mikasa. Warmth fills me as I picture shaggy, brown hair with green eyes and flowing black hair with calm, gray orbs. It's so vivid.

The fact that I can't reach out and touch them makes me want to cry, but I've decided to go out with dignity, so I hold in the sobs. I can't do anything about the tears, though.

_'I-I'm starting to blank out,' _I thought. It was true, my mind was getting hazy.

I'll close my eyes...even though I know what will happen. Yeah, this is the end.

My eyes flutter closed.

* * *

_**Regular POV**_

"Sasha." Mikasa asked again, more insistently. "Where is Armin now?" The brown haired girl only delayed the inevitable and took a deep breath before breaking the news to her friend.

"A-Armin was in the mouth of the thirteen-meter class we killed..." Mikasa's hand dropped to her side in shock, eyes widening.

"After it fell, we saw him get it out, but..." Gray eyes intently watched Sasha, silently begging her to continue. Sasha hung her head.

"He refused to let me call for help, and before we knew it... a Titan stomped by..." Mikasa was now tightly shutting her eyes, images running through her mind that she would rather not imagine.

"We...We don't know if he got stepped on! All we're sure of is that he was badly injured..." Sasha said no more and Mikasa didn't need to hear any. With fierce intent, she began preparing to head back to the forest they came from. "H-Hey! We just got out of there, you're going back?!" A stiff nod was given.

"Everyone is going to go, so I'll go first and get Armin." She received incredulous and doubtful looks alike that she paid no heed toward. "He's my friend." She said quietly. "I have to go get him."

"But you don't even know if he's...!" Sasha couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence with the look Mikasa gave her. Positioning herself, Mikasa was about to shoot her cables into the next tree, but halted at the sound of a boom. The soldiers found themselves looking around for the source of the sound, many hoping it to be a signal of retreat from the Commander, however, they were met with the sight of a soft, white streak adorning the sky, coming from the southeast area. Those in Armin's team felt their eyes widen.

"The only person that could possibly be over there is Armin..." Hope could be seen flickering in Mikasa's eyes and she seemed even more anxious to go, but her feet stood solid. Gray irises locked on the color of the flare and her mouth pressed into a taut, straight line. She knew what that flare meant. She was there the day it officially became a standard flare for squad leaders. Mikasa had no idea Armin was authorized to carry one.

On instinct, she took a step forward, readying her gear, when she was pulled back by a disgruntled Annie. "He ordered us to leave him behind for a reason. If he thought he could be saved, he would have allowed it. You know what that flare means. We aren't allowed to enter the proximity." Mikasa shook off her hand and stared at the distant forest, trapped in conflict. _'Armin really thought it best to leave him behind...?'_

"How many Titans do you see?" A soldier called out.

"There's gotta be nearly seventy!" Another shouted, pocketing a telescope.

Mikasa stood still. A sense of nostalgia washed over her. Not too long ago, she had stood on an abandoned rooftop, hearing the same conversation take place, witnessing a different white flare. But despair washed over. Her old friend wasn't beside her, worried about those that gave their lives. He was the one that pulled the trigger. Mikasa's eyes shined with unshed tears, thinking about how Eren would feel. Just the sensation itself was awful and heartbreaking, she didn't even notice the blue flare, finally signaling retreat. All she saw was the fading white.

'_Somewhere out there, Armin is...'_ Hanging her head, Mikasa sighed. She experienced long ago that bottling the despair she felt was debilitating, and so, as the sky began turning a soft, whispery orange, Mikasa looked up, face unchanging,

...And a single tear sliding down her cheek.

* * *

How was it? To all you Armin fans out there, I deeply apologize, but it had to be done. ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ

I'm actually a bit confident that this chapter turned out well and really sped things up. I _really _ debated over whether I should split this up. It would definitely stock me up for another month, but in the end, I'll just shove this to you, in hopes you'll take it.

Please leave a review if you liked it! It's motivating to hear that people want me to continue.

Also, from now on, I will really have no idea when updates will occur. Along with my other stories and just everything else I do, I think once a month is an accurate prediction. But again, don't take my word for it, I've lied before.

I hope you enjoyed it!


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